Nairobi, Kenya, Oct, 12, 2025 – Prominent human rights activist and Kenya’s Presidential aspirant in the 2027 General polls Boniface Mwangi has accused Kenyan security agencies of sustained harassment, intimidation, and threats to his life, alleging that state operatives have intensified efforts to silence him ahead of his anticipated presidential bid.
In a detailed statement posted on his social media platforms, Mwangi said he has endured years of persecution under successive governments but claimed that the current regime has “taken it to a new low.”
“Death threats are not new to me and my family, but the current regime has taken it to a new low,” Mwangi stated. “It is clear that my life is in danger, and the attempts to intimidate me are becoming more brazen and far more direct.”
Mwangi recounted multiple incidents of alleged harassment, including an incident on October 9, 2025, when a used bullet casing was allegedly planted in his carry-on luggage while traveling from Nairobi to Kilifi County. He said the discovery was a “direct threat” to his life.
The activist claimed the bullet casing was slipped into his bag during a brief period it was out of his possession at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA). He said he refrained from reporting the matter to police on the advice of lawyers and human rights defenders, fearing it could have been a trap to implicate him in criminal charges.
“Like the majority of Kenyans, I do not trust the police,” he said, adding that he instead reported the matter to a human rights organisation and shared evidence with his legal team.
Mwangi also cited a series of arrests and physical attacks, including a violent arrest on April 2, 2025, in which he was beaten by police officers and later hospitalised. On July 19, 2025, officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) raided his home and office, confiscating electronic devices and documents.
The activist, who has been arrested several times since 2024, alleged that the state is using “legal and illegal” means to frustrate his activism, including smear campaigns, digital surveillance, and financial sabotage.
He linked the increased intimidation to his involvement in last year’s nationwide protests against the Finance Bill 2024, during which dozens of demonstrators were killed.
Mwangi accused the government of attempting to discredit and eventually eliminate him, saying: “The targeted harassment, character assassination, and terrorism accusations are part of a broader plan by the regime to discredit me before they murder me.”
He also expressed fear that the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and police were monitoring his communications and movements.
Human rights organisations have previously raised concerns over state harassment of activists and protesters. According to the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), there were 159 recorded cases of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances in 2024, and at least 65 protesters were killed between June and July 2025.
[The carry on bag where activist Boniface Mwangi alleges a bullet casing was planted at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Photo/courtesy/ Oct, 12, 2025].
Mwangi maintained that he would not be silenced, pledging to continue advocating for justice and democratic reforms.
“They have billions and bullets, but we have truth, people-power, and God,” he declared. “This regime can arrest me, plant evidence, and try to intimidate me all they want—but they cannot stop an idea whose time has come.”
Government authorities are yet to respond to the activist’s latest allegations.
